Theodore: Xavier’s Hatchlings ― Paranormal Dragon Shifter Romance

by Kathi S. Barton

  “Good.” Grandma hugged Pem, then him. “I’m so glad you helped him out, Theo. You’re a good man and a better grandson-in-law than a woman could ask for.”

  “I’m hoping to get lucky later.” MaryBeth smacked him on his chest as she moved toward the outdoors to the little airport. “I’ve had some people meet the plane at the tarmac, and they’re going to bring the things that we brought back with us to the warehouse. Austin is going to be staying with us until the sale of his house. Then he’s going to be looking for a place of his own unless he finds himself an apartment. He’s going to be looking for a job as well.”

  “I’ve not had a job in a long time. I mean, other than just calling in my orders for the day at the business I was supposed to be running. I’m actually kind of looking forward to it. I’d like a job where I can be around people.” Pem was telling him about the waitstaff job that was opening up in the local pizza shop. “Really? I might apply for that. I really do want to work around the public. It might not be such a good idea right now, not with everyone still hurting from what happened, but I’m willing to do it.”

  “I can talk to the owner for you. I know her from some of the meetings I’m working on for the new hospital and the staffing there. When we begin to hire there, we’re going to be hiring several hundred people before it’s up and running completely.”

  Theo was glad that Pem had gotten some advice from his mom when she’d been there for the funeral. She’d told Pem that there was all kinds of work that needed to be done behind the scenes. Mom had even given her a list of things that she could startup with the help of Rachel. Not busy work, but things that would help the community as a whole.

  It’s what he and his brothers had been doing since they got there, working small to work up to the larger things that the town and its people needed. Even when he’d not been home for the last few days, Theo had managed to set up someone to go to all the empty building just off the main street and see which ones could be used after a thorough clean up, as opposed to which would need a huge overhaul.

  Milo was working on getting some garden spaces cleaned up and ready for spring. There would be access to water, as well as a tractor to use for a small price. Hadley had someone helping him with getting some people in town to start up a new business, as Finn and Dover were working with Pem to get the hospital staff in place. The building was going up well, and there were things they could get going now, even before they had their first patient.

  “I’d like to take you all to dinner.” Theo told MaryBeth she didn’t need to do that. “Of course, I don’t need to do it. I’m doing it because I want to. It will be nice. And I’m certainly in a position of being able to afford it.”

  Getting into the limo, Theo kept an eye on Austin. He was doing well, he thought. His face wasn’t as tense and pinched looking as it had been. When Pem nudged him, she put out her hand, and a small little man was there. MaryBeth had gotten her faerie just a few days ago. She and Mildred seemed to be getting along just fine.

  “Austin, this is Becker.” Austin stared at the tiny little man Theo had pointed to and nodded. “He’s not a faerie, but a brownie. He would like to stay with you, all the time. He’ll keep you company when you need it and can be quite helpful when you need that as well. If for some reason, the two of you don’t work out, Becker will be fine with that. He’s a little bit to get used to.”

  “He only says that because it’s true.” Becker laughed and flew to Austin when he put his hand out. “Oh, but you’re hurting, aren’t you, Mr. Austin? My goodness, you need to smell the flowers. There is nothing in this world that smelling a few dozen flowers won’t heal.”

  “I have been hurting, but I’m feeling better.” Becker told him, of course, he would be. “Why are you hard to get along with, Becker? If you don’t mind me asking.”

  “I don’t mind nary a bit. I am hard on a body because I’m just me. I have a good time and expect you to have one too. Also, I tend to tell the stupidest jokes. I think they’re funny when I hear them, but then I mess them up something terrible when I tell them. I get around to it eventually, but by then, I’ve lost my audience.” Becker laughed once again. “Also, when I get it about right, I tend to get too excited to finish it, and that can be aggravating as well. I do try.”

  “I’m not good at jokes at all. It’s been pointed out to me that I have no sense of humor.” Becket looked very upset about that. “Perhaps you can teach me a few. That way, we can be the best slapstick duo ever born.”

  Becket turned to him. “I like him, Lord Theo. I think the two of us are going to be getting on just fine. Just fine indeed.” Austin laughed. It was the first time since he’d met the man that he’d heard it. Austin seemed as surprised by the noise as everyone else did.

  By the time they pulled up in front of the restaurant, Theo realized how hungry he was. Glad that they were shown a table right away, he started in on the breadsticks that came with the meal. If this kept up, he was going to have to start eating a meal before he left to go get one. He didn’t want to make MaryBeth broke on their first outing as a family.

  Theo liked the sound of that. Family. They were his too. Even though they’d gotten off to a bad start, they were coming together now. They just needed to take care of a couple of things, Patrick being one of them, and they’d be all right. He did remember Sandra then, but she was going to prison, despite what she told anyone that would come around. Merkle’s Mark was going to be opening soon, and he was looking forward to that. Even his parents were coming back to enjoy the grand reopening. Things were, he thought, moving right along.

  Theo knew they were far from out of the woods with the things that had happened. There were still people in the hospital. The police department needed to be filled out again. Theo missed his good friend Amos, but he knew that when it was a good time to hire a new chief, the town would do a great job of that as well.

  Chapter 7

  Patrick had had enough of going around without any money. It wasn’t like his mom didn’t have any to hand to him. Even his own daughter was living it up in a nice fancy house and acting like there wasn’t a thing in the world for her to worry about. What about him? He should have been on top of her list of shit to worry about. Not that man she had married. He was a dork anyways, if you asked him. Who the hell did he think he was acting like his wife’s dad didn’t matter squat?

  Then there was Austin. It really got in his craw that Austin was being welcomed into Pem’s house. By rights, it should have been Patrick’s house too. Living with them in the fancy house should have been something he was doing. Even his own mom wouldn’t allow him to stay a couple of nights by sneaking him into the house. No one should be treated this way when there was money to be had.

  He saw Austin as he walked to the pizza place. It would be just like him to go in there and have himself a good meal. Patrick hadn’t had himself a good meal since—well, he couldn’t remember. About the time that his missus took sick. She sure could make a pork chop be glad that it was in her skillet, that’s for sure.

  There hadn’t been any insurance on his wife. When he’d gone to the insurance company he’d had his car insurance with, he asked them when he was going to get his wife’s pay off. The man stared at him for several long seconds as if he didn’t understand.

  “You know. A death benefit. Where is my wife’s? I would have thought that since she’d been gone for a few months, you’d have hunted me down for it.” He told him that it had only been two weeks. “Whatever the time, where is my money? Everybody knows that when someone dies, there is insurance to be had. I would like to get hers.”

  “She didn’t have any insurance.” Patrick had pointed out that everyone had insurance. “You think they just automatically give an insurance payout when someone dies? Well, it doesn’t work that way. You have to take a policy out, then make the payments on it every month. If your way were the way to go, then there
wouldn’t be any insurance companies around. No. Neither you nor your wife had any life insurance policy. I can help you set up one for you. The policy won’t cost you that much per month. I can even—”

  “Are you telling me that there isn’t any money coming from her up and dying? I was sort of counting on that money. To, you know, have me some new things. I mean, what are you even in business for if you don’t provide people with a means to get some nice payout when someone dies?” He told him that he was in the business of selling insurance, not paying out for anyone that dies. “Well, that just sucks. Here I was thinking you all were going to give me a hefty payout when she died, and you’re sticking it to me. I should call the police on you is what I should do.”

  “You go right ahead and do that, Mr. Black. And when they stop laughing, I’m sure they’re going to tell you the same thing. That unless you paid for it, there won’t be any payout.” He explained to him the way it worked had Patrick paying for the insurance every month. It wasn’t a payout so much as it was him getting all his money back at one time. That made no sense at all. “I think it’s time you left. You might want to think about getting a policy for yourself too. I’m sure that lovely daughter of yours could use some help in paying for your funeral.”

  That had been when his wife had passed on. Patrick hadn’t paid for his car insurance anymore, either. If they didn’t payout on a big thing like death, then they’d surely find some reason not to pay him if he was to wreck his car. Some people didn’t deserve to be in business, Patrick had thought then and now.

  Standing on the spot where he thought his parents’ home had been, he looked out over the area. He’d not known that they’d had so much land when he’d been living here. Had he figured it out, he would have surely had them sell it off to keep him in cash. Or he would have done it on his own. Damn it all to hell and back, they had cheated him. Austin too, but he had money when he married that bitch Caroline.

  She’d turned her nose up at him every time he saw her like she was so much better than he was. Patrick had always told Austin that he’d married beneath himself by marrying Caroline, but Austin said she was a good woman and he loved her. Love?

  “That right there is the ruination of the world. Love isn’t good for anyone.” He looked around when he realized he’d been speaking aloud. People tended to look at you sideways when they heard you doing that.

  Patrick decided to see if he could get himself some money by stealing one of the big rigs that was working on the land thereabouts. They were a mite bigger than he’d thought they were. Standing right up close to one of them, he realized that the wheels on the suckers were larger than he was. He could have made him a whole house by living in one of them too, he thought with a laugh. Walking around the big yellow monster, he couldn’t for the life of him figure out how someone was supposed to get into the thing.

  “Can I help you?” He turned and looked at the man standing there. Big man too, dressed in a nice suit that fit him like it was made just for him. Patrick tried holding in his belly but couldn’t breathe and talk while doing that. “Is there something I can help you with, Mr. Black? I would like to point out that you’re on private property. The fence you knocked over had a sign hung on it that states that. In the event you missed it while breaking and entering.”

  “I was going to have me a little fun with this thing. How do you suppose them guys get into this sucker?” The man told him he wouldn’t know but that he should move along. “You’re not very friendly, are you? Well, I want you to know that my daughter’s family owns this here land, and she said I could come here and have myself a little fun. No harm in having some fun, now is there?”

  “It is when you trespass and try to steal a piece of equipment that doesn’t belong to you.” He said that his daughter said he could have a time on it. “I’m your daughter’s brother-in-law, and I know for a fact that she’d not let you touch any of this equipment, much less tell you to have some fun with it.”

  “What the hell? Is she fucking related to everyone in town? Which one are you?” He told him his name. “What kind of name is Milo? Sounds fake if you ask me. Anyway, you call her up and ask her about it. While you’re doing that, I’m going to figure this thing out and have me a couple of turns with it.”

  “What are you doing here, Dad?” He turned too quickly and fell over. Neither his daughter nor the two men with her offered to help him up. “Hello, Milo, thanks for calling us. As you know, I wouldn’t allow him on the property to take a pee, much less a large piece of equipment to take a joy ride in. His plan more than likely was to steal it.”

  “Give me some money, Pem, and I’ll pretend that this never happened.” She told him no and that nothing had happened. “Damn it, girl. What the hell is wrong with you anymore? You used to be good enough to tap for some cash when you was younger. I might have to resort to that sort of tapping again if you don’t pay up.”

  The low growl from both the men scared Patrick enough that he backed away from Pem. Neither one of them moved, nor did they take their eyes off him. Patrick felt his asshole tighten up like it knew before his brain did that something was about to get jiggy here.

  “I wasn’t gonna hurt her. You’re too close.” That got him another growl, this one from the man he knew to be her husband. “You got no cause to be scaring me like that. I’ve done nothing wrong to any of you. I just need me some flashing around money until I can get me a big payoff from my mom. She said she’d help me out.”

  “No, she didn’t. And while I haven’t any idea what flashing around money is, you’re not going to get anything from me. Nor grandma. Why don’t you get yourself a job? Uncle Austin did. He’s working at the pizza shop, and he’s excited to start working soon.” Patrick looked at where he’d seen his brother go. “Dad, you’re a grown man and shouldn’t be depending on anyone for you to have housing and food. Get your shit together and get your life on track. Otherwise, you’re going to be found in an abandoned house frozen to death come winter.”

  “Winter is a few months away. I got plenty of time to get myself some money.” He put out his hand. “Why don’t you be the first to donate to me finding me a house like you have and a nice cozy income too?”

  They turned and walked away. Just before they were through the fence where there was a lock and chain, Theo, he thought his name was, turned back. He had a big shit-eating grin on his face, a term his dad had said a lot. Patrick had never understood that, either. Who would want to eat shit?

  “It doesn’t mean that at all, moron. Shit eating grin means that I’m giving you a self-satisfied smile. As in, I know something you don’t. Which really isn’t saying much. I think the dirt you’re standing on is smarter than you are.” Patrick looked down at the dirt, then at the bottoms of his shoes. He didn’t get that either. Then he realized the man knew what he was thinking. “Of course, I know what you’re thinking. It’s not hard. You’re too stupid to be aware that it’s happening all the time. Get off this land, Patrick, or the wolf pack that scared you from our home will bite you hard this time.”

  He heard the howling just before they showed up at the other end of the land he was standing on. They were surely eating up the distance to get to him. Rushing to the opening that the others were at, he was pissed when they shut the gate before he got there and put the lock on. Christ almighty, he was going to be eaten alive.

  He didn’t know how he’d made it, but he got out of the broken fence with only a few bite marks. Patrick tried to look at the marks they’d made on his backside. His ass was bloodied, but he still had it. Walking toward a place he’d been staying, the homeless shelter, he was about ready for something to go his way.

  “Mr. Black, you’re dripping blood on the floor. You’re going to have to go get that taken care of before I allow you inside.” He told the lady at the front desk at the shelter that he was going to see the nurse. “She’s here only on Fridays. Today is Wednesd
ay. You’ll have to go get it taken care of at the clinic or not stay here. We have strict policies on bloodborne pathogens.”

  “On what?” She opened her mouth, and he decided he couldn’t stand to hear her using that voice of hers again. “Why don’t you have signs that tell people this shit? I mean, it would be nice to know it before I get here.”

  “Watch your language. I will not tell you again. There are signs all over the place once you get inside the door. Perhaps you should take the time to read them.” Patrick tried to get on her good side, telling her he’d not thought to look at them when he was greeted with such a lovely face right when he came in. “Be that as it may, you’re to get yourself fixed up before you can return. Have a nice evening.”

  He often wondered if people realized that saying have a nice whatever wasn’t really going to happen. It was like they were giving you one more stick of a knife before they slammed the door in your face. Patrick had had enough doors slammed in his face for several lifetimes. The fuckers. When was he going to get his due? Never, it seemed. Not even a little bit of cash from his fucking family.

  The clinic was packed. There were snotty brats all over the place. One of them was eyeing him like he was some kind of tasty meal. A couple of them came to talk to him, asking him if he’d read them a story.

  “No. Go away, kid. I don’t have time for your shit today. Can’t you see I’m hurting?” The kids went back to their moms, and he got the stink eye from them. He thought people were way too sensitive nowadays. All they wanted to do was blame everyone else for their lot in life.

  Patrick had always known he was lazy. In fact, he embraced the idea of being the laziest slob ever created. Why should a person work for a living when there were so many ways to not have to work? Like when his missus would go down to the mall at Christmas and put Pem’s name on one of those little soldiers or whatever that hung on the tree. People would take the name, buy whatever was on the list, and then send it to the house.